Human Kidnappings – An Old Tradition with New Aims

Human Kidnappings – An Old Tradition with New Aims

According to the EU experts, human kidnapping reached its peak in post-Soviet countries with the Northern Caucasus possessing the leading position among them, especially Chechnya which is bordered by the Pankisi Gorge. Human trafficking, such as kidnapping, has developed since the 1990s with the current income from this crime exceeding the earnings from that of drugs and weapons. Moreover, aside from the financial gain, kidnapping has also developed a strong political basis. Following the various kidnappings and abductions which occurred in the Pankisi Gorge in 2001-2003, the image of Georgia  decreased considerably in the eyes of international society. To date, no one has been apprehended or arrested in Georgia for any of these crimes. 

Human kidnapping has increased to such a level in Georgia that the Georgian Interior Ministry carried out special research dedicated specifically to this crime with the results given to former president Edward Shevardnadze  stamped as “Secret.” It was only later that the information became more widely known . Most of the cases dating to several years ago are still under investigation with the whereabouts of the victims still unknown. It seems that law-enforcement officials are unable to  solve these crimes. Of the 26 cases of kidnapping from 2001, only 17 have beensolved. Moreover, nine incidents are still being concealed without any available information about the victims. One of these cases concerns the kidnapping of Levan Kaladze, the brother of Kakha Kaladze, a member of Italian football team “Milano.” Kaladze was kidnapped in Tbilisi in spring 2001. An investigation was launched and is still in process on the  kidnapping of Zurab Durglishvili, head of peacekeepers joint military division located in the Tskhinvali region of South Ossetia. According to the information circulated, Durglishvili was engaged in the arms business which was, so claimed, the reason for his kidnapping. Law-enforcement officials were unable to investigate the incident with the whereabouts of Mariam Goginashvili, the daughter of former policeman, also still unknown despite the widespread and contradictory information which has been heard about the girl. Goginashvili’s parents contacted the police  following her abduction when unidentified persons demanded USD 50 thousand ransom for her return. Since then, no information has been available.. In another incident, three years have already passed since Father Basil Machitadze was kidnapped. Law-enforcement officials remained convinced that he would be released and the kidnappers would be punished but this did not happen as promised by the captors. A story was circulated that the kidnapping of the priest was connected with drug trafficking wherein high ranking officials were involved. According to the information available, the kidnapping of Father Basil was ordered by the officials of the Georgian Security Ministry.

In addition to local victims, foreign businessmen and their family members, as well as tourists, are  other common and favoured victims of kidnappings in Georgia. Some of the kidnappings of foreigners ended with their release without any of the criminals identified or  detained. Arab businessman, Sharbel Beshara Anu, the foreign partner of the firm “Agritecknicks,” was released a year and a half  after his capture but his assailants alluded capture and arrest. American citizen, Beshra Anu, also one of the heads of the firm “Agritecknicks” that deals with the import of bananas and frozen hens for the Georgian market, disappeared from the central street of Tbilisi in mid morning when he was kidnapped by three unidentified persons wearing masks. The kidnappers demanded USD 200 thousand for ransom. The case of the abduction of British banker Peter Show ended with his release after some time but without any arrests. At first, Shota Chichiashvili and his group were blamed in his captureand having detained him and taken him to Tbilisi for incarceration, the case was closed. The cases of the mother of Jumber Tkebuchava, the vice-president of “Slavneft,” and Mr Sherifov, the father of vice-president of “Lukoil,” are still unsolved. Law-enforcement officials found the corpse of Mr Sherifov on the road leading to Bolnisi-Dmanisi a week following his abduction. The kidnapping of the representatives of the international organisation Klaus Oty, Henrick Sorensen and their  Georgian interpreter, Lasha Chikashua, also remains unsolved.

One of the success operations in the fight against human trafficking that the new Georgian government has achieved has been the release of the Tamaz Maglakelidze, also a victim of an abduction, and the detention of his assailants.

Clearly, the situation involving abductions and kidnappings in Georgia during these last years has damaged severely the country’s image and reputation and further shown it to be a non-stable rogue state.

“This is a very well-organised diversion.  That is why certain kidnappings have had a political basis. FSB and other Russian special services worked very carefully. Their activity was grounded with several reasons. For example, Russia tried to give a terrorist image to Georgia, making the background as if there was a very dangerous environment for foreign businessmen in Georgia and at the same time it was the attempt to show to the International organisations that they were supporting Chechens and that Chechens were the leaders of organised crime. Georgian high-ranking officials participated in such political interests. It was a well-organised criminal group which affiliated itself not only representatives of law-enforcement officials but also with other high-ranking authorities” stated Mamuka Areshidze, an expert on issues human trafficking in the  Caucasus. According to Mr Areshidze, the high-ranking law-enforcement official now working in the Georgian Interior Ministry was involved in kidnapping of several Spanish businessmen. According to Mr Areshidze, there was a police official with Shota Chichiashvili in the cars helping to cross the border. (interview from the newspaper “24 Hours”)

The Georgian Interior Ministry has published official statistics about human trafficking stating that 47 cases of kidnappings have been registered since 2004 and, of these, 37 have been solved. 13 people have been kidnapped for money extortion and seven were held as a hostage.

The representatives of the Interior Ministry’s department for combating organised crime tell about the decrease of cases of kidnappings in 2004. They also underline that the number of solved cases has been increased.

Prepared by Nino Bestavashvili